Having mixed feelings
Char
Comments
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Well, I think you should be
Well, I think you should be happy! No chemo or rads! But, I do understand how you are confused now after you were first told you needed them and now do not.
I would assume that your oncologist will only verify your surgeons recommendation. I certainly hope so.
About your question if this happened to me, no. My oncologist and my plastic surgeon both agreed on my lumpectomy followed by rads.
I am suppose to take tamoxifen, but, haven't gotten the courage to take it yet.
I wish you good luck and let us know what you find out.
Sue0 -
Suddenly switching gears
After preparing for bad news for so long, you've suddenly been knocked off the path you thought you were on. It turns out to be good -- great! -- but it's still jarring and unsettling. And, you don't know if you feel you can trust the unexpected news. I would feel confused, too!
Let the good news sink in and you'll start to feel better, I'll bet. Plus, it won't be too long until the onc can verify the surgeon's opinion.
I hope you are enjoying kicking back -- or dancing -- with NED quite soon, Char.0 -
I had something similiar....Christine Louise said:Suddenly switching gears
After preparing for bad news for so long, you've suddenly been knocked off the path you thought you were on. It turns out to be good -- great! -- but it's still jarring and unsettling. And, you don't know if you feel you can trust the unexpected news. I would feel confused, too!
Let the good news sink in and you'll start to feel better, I'll bet. Plus, it won't be too long until the onc can verify the surgeon's opinion.
I hope you are enjoying kicking back -- or dancing -- with NED quite soon, Char.
After my mastectomy my biopsy came back "no evidence of any cancel cells in breast tissue". My surgeon said that meant I would only need chemo (my nodes were clear from an earlier Sentinel Node biopsy) and no rads. When I went to see my onc to set up the chemo she concurred and also said no rads...so I was a very happy camper. But I too had a few days of hoping she wouldn't say anything different.
I think when your surgeon is experienced in breast cancer they pretty much know exactly what is going on, at least mine did and I was thrilled!
Congrats, that is really great news!
Hugs, Judy :-)0 -
Confused? Yea, I would be!Christine Louise said:Suddenly switching gears
After preparing for bad news for so long, you've suddenly been knocked off the path you thought you were on. It turns out to be good -- great! -- but it's still jarring and unsettling. And, you don't know if you feel you can trust the unexpected news. I would feel confused, too!
Let the good news sink in and you'll start to feel better, I'll bet. Plus, it won't be too long until the onc can verify the surgeon's opinion.
I hope you are enjoying kicking back -- or dancing -- with NED quite soon, Char.
Confused? Yea, I would be! You were already for the bad news and it turned around on you and became good news. It would rattle you.
Like Christine said, let the good news settle in. And, I bet your oncologist will just verify the good news and then you can really feel happy!
♠♣ Susie ♠♣0 -
Char -
I agree that is really great news and i hope that you hear the same thing from your oncologist!! My only thought would be, did your surgeon or oncologist say anything about the oncootype test?? In my case, when I met with my oncologist prior to my bilateral, she told me that the final determining factor as to whether I would need chemo after surgery would be the oncoptype test which would further evaluate the tumor and determine the probability of recurrence. If there was a low score - no chemo; if it was high - chemo; if it was in the middle - we would have to decide what to do. I don't want to be a downer - just wasn't sure if this is something they were looking at doing in your case. Lots of hugs and prayers that this is the final part of the journey for you!
Chris0 -
Great advice from Chris.greyhoundluvr said:Char -
I agree that is really great news and i hope that you hear the same thing from your oncologist!! My only thought would be, did your surgeon or oncologist say anything about the oncootype test?? In my case, when I met with my oncologist prior to my bilateral, she told me that the final determining factor as to whether I would need chemo after surgery would be the oncoptype test which would further evaluate the tumor and determine the probability of recurrence. If there was a low score - no chemo; if it was high - chemo; if it was in the middle - we would have to decide what to do. I don't want to be a downer - just wasn't sure if this is something they were looking at doing in your case. Lots of hugs and prayers that this is the final part of the journey for you!
Chris
I'm a real advocate for the OncoTypeDX test. It has only been available since 2004 and there is only one place in the world that provides it. It is only done when the we are node negative so sounds like you are a candidate for it. Node negative is a big deal in the breast cancer world so that's very good news.
Roseann0 -
I'm still in the process to
I'm still in the process to determine treatment, but my surgeon went over my pathology report (post surgery 5/28) and he told me that I would just need radiation, (lymph nodes clear) only because mine was so close to my chest muscle (only had a .9mm clearance). My surgeon also mentioned that once the rads were done, then he would prescribe the Tamoxifen.
After I visited with the radiation oncologist, she refer to me to talk with an oncologist, mainly because of my age (premenopause) and the fact that I found the lump on my own. It's more of a just to make sure... Yesterday, I met with the oncologist and he recommended the Onco DX test, just to see if I should also have chemo. If it's high, I should have it - if it's low, no need -- if it's in the gray area then we need to discuss to decide.
Personally, I wasn't really sure if I needed to see the oncologist because I trust my surgeons opinion. But it's my life at stake and I wanted to see what he had to say...but like you I'm afraid of what he's going to recommend. Actually in my meeting with the oncologist, he asked, "do you know why the radiation oncologist referred you to me?" My answer, "no, but I'm thinking it may be a mistake to be here." I was torn between trusting what my surgeon was telling me and what a 'cancer specialist' would tell me. So right now I'm in limbo on my treatment until he gets the test results back. I have another appt with the oncologist in 2 weeks to find out the results of my test and go from there on my treatment plan.
Good luck with your appt and keep me posted.
Patty0 -
Big congrats on the goodHope 2010 said:I'm still in the process to
I'm still in the process to determine treatment, but my surgeon went over my pathology report (post surgery 5/28) and he told me that I would just need radiation, (lymph nodes clear) only because mine was so close to my chest muscle (only had a .9mm clearance). My surgeon also mentioned that once the rads were done, then he would prescribe the Tamoxifen.
After I visited with the radiation oncologist, she refer to me to talk with an oncologist, mainly because of my age (premenopause) and the fact that I found the lump on my own. It's more of a just to make sure... Yesterday, I met with the oncologist and he recommended the Onco DX test, just to see if I should also have chemo. If it's high, I should have it - if it's low, no need -- if it's in the gray area then we need to discuss to decide.
Personally, I wasn't really sure if I needed to see the oncologist because I trust my surgeons opinion. But it's my life at stake and I wanted to see what he had to say...but like you I'm afraid of what he's going to recommend. Actually in my meeting with the oncologist, he asked, "do you know why the radiation oncologist referred you to me?" My answer, "no, but I'm thinking it may be a mistake to be here." I was torn between trusting what my surgeon was telling me and what a 'cancer specialist' would tell me. So right now I'm in limbo on my treatment until he gets the test results back. I have another appt with the oncologist in 2 weeks to find out the results of my test and go from there on my treatment plan.
Good luck with your appt and keep me posted.
Patty
Big congrats on the good news of NO chemo!
Hugs, Diane0 -
Char congrads on the no
Char congrads on the no chemo or rads.
I went through this, before my mastectomy they told me i wouldnt have to go through chemo or rads and just take tamoxifen for 5 years...well after the surgery they changed their minds cuz they ended up taking 12 nodes with positive results and they were certain that it hadnt reached my nodes up to that point...so needless to say i went through chemo and still 5 years of tamoxifen, but no rads.
This is great news for you!!!0 -
thanks
thanks for all your comments. Chris, I will definitely have to ask about the OncotypeDx test. What is it and should I ask my surgeon or the oncologist? For now I'm letting his words sink in and very grateful. I guess I may still be a tiny bit nervous until I see the oncologist. I saw a post today that unnerved me though. After 1 year post surgery a biopsy of lymph nodes under the arm tested positive for cancer. My heart breaks for her.
Char0 -
Congrats Char! Goodcahjah75 said:thanks
thanks for all your comments. Chris, I will definitely have to ask about the OncotypeDx test. What is it and should I ask my surgeon or the oncologist? For now I'm letting his words sink in and very grateful. I guess I may still be a tiny bit nervous until I see the oncologist. I saw a post today that unnerved me though. After 1 year post surgery a biopsy of lymph nodes under the arm tested positive for cancer. My heart breaks for her.
Char
Congrats Char! Good news!
Hugs,Jan0 -
Oncotype Dx testroseann4 said:Great advice from Chris.
I'm a real advocate for the OncoTypeDX test. It has only been available since 2004 and there is only one place in the world that provides it. It is only done when the we are node negative so sounds like you are a candidate for it. Node negative is a big deal in the breast cancer world so that's very good news.
Roseann
I was lymph node positive, and did have the Oncotype Dx test done - and it did make a difference for me for chemo. I was scheduled to start chemo on 3/30, but the test said I had a low recurrence rate. I, also, wasn't sure what to think - for a month & a half I thought I'd be getting chemo - and I had read that the test was based on node negative women. I kept my "pre-chemo" appt with my medical oncologist just to have her reassure me that we were on the right track by not doing chemo (which she did). Then, I originally didn't think I'd be getting radiation, but both my oncologists didn't like how close the tumor was to the chest wall, so I went in for that. Things change . . . and I needed a lot of reassurances during that time to convince me that we were making the right decisions to keep this cancer from coming back.0 -
surgeon vs oncologistHope 2010 said:I'm still in the process to
I'm still in the process to determine treatment, but my surgeon went over my pathology report (post surgery 5/28) and he told me that I would just need radiation, (lymph nodes clear) only because mine was so close to my chest muscle (only had a .9mm clearance). My surgeon also mentioned that once the rads were done, then he would prescribe the Tamoxifen.
After I visited with the radiation oncologist, she refer to me to talk with an oncologist, mainly because of my age (premenopause) and the fact that I found the lump on my own. It's more of a just to make sure... Yesterday, I met with the oncologist and he recommended the Onco DX test, just to see if I should also have chemo. If it's high, I should have it - if it's low, no need -- if it's in the gray area then we need to discuss to decide.
Personally, I wasn't really sure if I needed to see the oncologist because I trust my surgeons opinion. But it's my life at stake and I wanted to see what he had to say...but like you I'm afraid of what he's going to recommend. Actually in my meeting with the oncologist, he asked, "do you know why the radiation oncologist referred you to me?" My answer, "no, but I'm thinking it may be a mistake to be here." I was torn between trusting what my surgeon was telling me and what a 'cancer specialist' would tell me. So right now I'm in limbo on my treatment until he gets the test results back. I have another appt with the oncologist in 2 weeks to find out the results of my test and go from there on my treatment plan.
Good luck with your appt and keep me posted.
Patty
I know, for me, I had the most wonderful surgeon - and he is specifically a "breast surgeon" - working with breast cancer. I hung on his every word during the time that I saw him. I was also scheduled to see radiation & medical oncologists right from the start of my "journey". When I asked my surgeon about post-surgery treatments, he just said that he would have to go along with whatever the oncologists recommended. Also, I know that the surgeons/oncologists/cancer care people meet weekly to discuss cancer cases - so that they were aware of what each other was thinking regarding treatments.0 -
Onco Dxcahjah75 said:thanks
thanks for all your comments. Chris, I will definitely have to ask about the OncotypeDx test. What is it and should I ask my surgeon or the oncologist? For now I'm letting his words sink in and very grateful. I guess I may still be a tiny bit nervous until I see the oncologist. I saw a post today that unnerved me though. After 1 year post surgery a biopsy of lymph nodes under the arm tested positive for cancer. My heart breaks for her.
Char
It was my medical oncologist who ordered the Oncotype Dx test for me . . .0
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